Delectable Musings

Muy Bueno Cookbook Winner!

2012-10-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Meryl for winning a copy of the Muy Bueno Cookbook! I hope you really enjoy the chapter on Entrees.

Creamy Rice Pudding

2012-10-08T00:01:00.000-07:00

Creamy rice pudding topped with toasted pumpkin seeds

Vanilla speckled rice pudding, warm and freshly made - click on the photo to see the larger view so that the specks are visible. Rice pudding makes a fantastic snack, dessert, and even breakfast dish. This is not the rice pudding you bake in the oven to use up leftovers you have on hand, instead it is made fresh on the stovetop sort of like a risotto. Those speckles of vanilla bean are easier to get than you might think, and they don't require any splitting or scrapping of seeds.

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Kielbasa and Mixed Greens Soup

2012-10-05T00:01:00.000-07:00

Kielbasa and greens soup with a slice of homemade bread

Now that school is back in full swing again all of the extra-curricular activities are kicking in too. We have a couple of nights a week where the schedule gets pretty complicated. For those nights we eat what we call First Dinner and Second Dinner. First Dinner is necessary to fuel the kids for their high activity sports, replenish them after the school day, and to keep them going an hour past our usual dinner time. The downside with First Dinner is that it is served far too early for the rest of the family. Second dinner is to top up the kids and to feed the rest of us a meal that satisfies while also being quick to fix. Having easy to use leftovers doesn't hurt either since I never know who will be eating how much.

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Muy Bueno Cookbook Giveaway! {Closed}

2012-10-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

This post is the last part of the Muy Bueno Cookbook Spotlight & Cook-Off sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef. It has been a lot of fun to dive into this cookbook and to hear three generations come together to preserve their history and stories and recipes. The cookbook reflects the diversity of the authors with classics that have been made for generations to new and fresh recipes with the Muy Bueno flair. I think that was the most enjoyable part of the cookbook for me - hearing these three ladies stories and feeling welcomed into the Muy Bueno family for a short time.

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BYOB - Bake Your Own Bread {October 2012}

2012-09-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

It's time again to reach out to all you bread bakers and encourage you to share your stories with us this month here at BYOB. Fall colors are starting to kick in, the air is crisp and cool, and the house smells the best when it is filled with fresh baking bread. BYOB is an amazing resource for all your creative bread baking urges and it would be wonderful for YOU to share your adventures with us!

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Beef Tongue With Tomatoes

2012-09-28T10:38:00.001-07:00

Beef tongue with tomatoes served on creamy polenta
and topped with freshly crumbled cotija cheese

It was difficult to narrow down to one recipe for the next part of the Muy Bueno Cookbook Spotlight & Cook-Off sponsored by Hippocrene and hosted at girlichef. The Muy Bueno Cookbook is full of so many fantastic choices with a large variety to choose from. Drinks, salsas, soups, sides, desserts - just to name some of the great chapters. Oddly enough what made the decision easier was when Peter found out that our favorite taco stand had closed down. They had some of the best authentic tacos and other Mexican specialties made with a lot of love and I knew I had to see if I could recreate even one of their dishes at home.

Mushroom, Jalapeño and Cilantro Salsa

2012-09-18T11:50:00.001-07:00

Mushroom jalapeno cilantro salsa

Salsa without tomatoes? More challenging yet, mushroom based salsa? My oldest son cannot stand mushrooms, barely tolerates cilantro, and I have my in-laws in town for a visit from across the country. Doesn't this sound like the perfect time to test this new recipe to see what kind of reviews it gets? I thought so too. Guess what? They loved it. Everyone did, even the mushroom hating son.

News!

2012-09-12T19:37:00.001-07:00

I am very proud to announce that Delectable Musings was selected by Kitchen Daily, part of HuffPost Food Group, as one of their small blog contributors. The Kitchen Daily site has undergone a transformation and has a lot to see and offer, take a look around. To launch their new site they are having a contest where you can win a year's worth of groceries, so go peek if for no other reason than to enter. Who can say no to free groceries for an entire year?

There will be more to share about all of this later, but I wanted to give a quick, "Woohoo!!" Maybe two "Woohoo's!!" :)

Quinoa Blueberry Lemon Muffins {Gluten Free}

2012-09-05T11:47:00.001-07:00

Quinoa blueberry lemon muffin

The lazy summer mornings of custom ordered breakfasts from Mom's kitchen are past now and we are on to the fire drill mode of school days. This means for me that I am trying to get as much healthy fuel into the kids at breakfast while chattering about friends, packing backpacks, making lunches, and finding shoes. These muffins are made with quinoa flour, something new for me to bake with, and then flavored with household favorites of lemon and blueberry.

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BYOB - Bake Your Own Bread {September 2012}

2012-08-31T21:01:00.000-07:00

It has been a great summer but I will admit I am so glad it is finally September. My kids go back to school on the 4th, the weather is already starting to be a lot cooler, and I can get back to baking fun bread. The summer months for me are about keeping everyday fresh bread on hand without a lot of time or energy for fancier loaves or trying new things. But. With the arrival of Fall all that changes! I know BYOB will be an invaluable place for me to find inspiration, recipes, and sharing of knowledge by some amazingly talented bakers out there. I would love for YOU to share your bread baking adventures too!

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Canning Tomatoes

2012-08-20T10:08:00.002-07:00

Tomatoes from Peter's garden

My sister recently asked Peter and I separately what we thought was the most important thing we put up each year. We both answered without hesitation, "Tomatoes!". Home canned tomatoes keep that fresh flavor without a tinny, metallic, or overly sharp aftertaste that you often find in commercially canned tomatoes. I am sure you have heard this many times from those who put up their own food, but ... if you put up nothing else you should do your own tomatoes.

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Tomato Jam

2012-08-16T13:09:00.001-07:00

Tomato jam and crackers piled high so you can eat them one after another

I am up to my waist in tomatoes and urgently wanting to capture that flavor of summer for winter. When winter arrives and it is non-stop grey and drizzly here in the Seattle area I will be so satisfied when I pull out a jar of this tomato jam and just indulge. Tomato jam is complex, being a little bit sweet, a little bit tangy, with a hint of spicy all rounded out with the warmth of cinnamon and cloves. It is amazing on your breakfast toast and topped with an over easy egg, or served with bites of fresh crab, or squeezed into the bun of a hamburger with all the fixings. You need to make at least one batch. Or maybe three.

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Tomato Salsa For Canning

2012-08-09T00:01:00.000-07:00

Tomato salsa

Making tomato salsa for canning is a lot like trying to solve the childhood classic "The Three Little Bears". It is either too hot, too mild, or just right and there is no pleasing everyone all the time. With a family that ranges from something-barely-spicier-than-ketchup to habaneros-are-for-beginners in taste it can be challenging to make salsa you can feel confident about having on hand year round. This recipe works because it is a flavorful foundation that is delicious on its own and it can easily be adjusted at eating time with the addition of some fresh jalapenos, hot sauce, cilantro, roasted corn, black beans, or a squeeze of lime to brighten it up.

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Dill Pickle Spears

2012-08-06T00:01:00.000-07:00

Dill pickle spears

Why do I make my dill pickles as spears instead of just pickling the cucumber whole? So I can get a lot more pickle out of one jar. That is the only reason why. No matter how well I try to stuff my jars using whole cucumbers nothing beats using spears for maximum capacity.

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Ketchup: It's All In The Presentation

2012-08-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Homemade ketchup with sweet potato fries

All of my kids enjoy different toppings and accent sauces like salsa, salad dressings, tartar sauces, hot sauces, remoulades and many different kinds of vinegar. Their favorite by far though is ketchup. Homemade ketchup is not like the big name brand if you are going for something with a bit more flavor and no corn syrup. That does not mean that it can't be as big a favorite with your kids! The key to making the transition to homemade is in how you present it.

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BYOB - Bake Your Own Bread {August 2012}

2012-07-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

I want to share a handful of the posts from July that were personally inspirational for me. Each one of them I either used the recipe provided as is, or changed a little but not a lot, and baked my own version of their great BYOB submission in July.

Pan Bagnat from Lavender and Lovage made a fantastic Sunday dinner.
Homemade Pizza Dough from Javelin Warrior's Cookin w/ Luv was the dough I used for my son's birthday celebration and it was perfect, just perfect.
Semolina Bread + Pea, Mint and Goat Cheese Bruschetta from Vintage Kitchen Notes gave me the courage to try my own first time version of bread made with semolina. The loaf was gone when dinner finished, it was great.

Lavender Syrup

2012-07-24T10:40:00.001-07:00

Honey bee enjoying the lavender

Remember that lavender ice cream I made just before the blooms opened? The first wave of flowers are now at full bloom, smell fantastic, and I selfishly want to capture some of that wonderful goodness for a few more months. One of the easiest ways to do that is to make lavender syrup.

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Chai Cherry Butter

2012-07-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

Chai cherry butter on a wedge of Irish soda bread

My oldest son Ben came home with a treasured jar of dark cherry jam that was thick and flavorful this past winter. It was a gift from his Aunt Annie and he raved about it often, sharing only the smallest of tastes. That jar was the inspiration for me to create something for Ben so that he could have it as a treat throughout winter. After tasting and adjusting and tweaking here and there this is his final approved Chai Cherry Butter.

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Sweet Cherries

2012-07-15T18:51:00.000-07:00

Yakima Bing cherries

My sister Judy came out to our place with her two kids. We all spent a slow afternoon together that was relaxed, easy, and unhurried. She and I went down to the farmer's market and came home with a case of cherries and a case of apricots. Don't worry, this is not about apricots today, but about the sweet cherries we found.

Honey Spiced Apricots

2012-07-10T08:20:00.001-07:00

Honey spiced apricots

Canning your own fruit is a great way to get through any large quantity you may have on hand - like perhaps 25 lbs. of apricots, for example. Honey spiced apricots take the usual canned fruit to a higher level, giving you a mildly spicy, sweet, cinnamony flavored apricot. These apricots go great with yogurt cake, yogurt, cheese or spooned over some ice cream.

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Apricot Jam

2012-07-07T00:01:00.000-07:00

Apricot jam

I am wild about apricots. I let my love of them get in the way of thinking through just how many come in a case box when at the farmer's market, so I am now the proud owner of 25 lbs. of apricots. Oh my.

Honey Lavender Ice Cream

2012-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Lavender ice cream

I have several flower beds but one is filled with only lavender. That's it. I love the color, the smell, and the beauty of lavender plants in all stages of their growth. Right now my lavender bed is just about to burst into full bloom, which is the perfect time to pick and dry some of the flower buds for my herb cupboard.
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Loganberry Jam

2012-07-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

Loganberry jam on toaster biscuit, the star of breakfast

Blackberries in my part of the world are considered a weed. They can be an expensive problem to deal with when you are trying to get rid of them and have even been the start of a new industry around here, goats as weed eaters. Cool, huh. ;)

BYOB - Bake Your Own Bread {July 2012}

2012-06-30T21:01:00.000-07:00

Gimme a B, gimme a Y, gimme an O, gimme a B! This is not short for those invites to a bash where you bring your own booze, but short for Bake Your Own Bread. I stumbled on to this link party when I first started Delectable Musings and really applauded what the goals are -- to encourage and support one another in our homemade bread baking efforts. I am honored to begin helping with hosting duties starting this month. I share these duties with Heather of Girlichef and Connie of My Discovery of Bread.

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Spaghetti With Tuna

2012-06-26T00:01:00.000-07:00

Spaghetti with tuna

Peter cannot stand canned tuna. He loves raw tuna or tuna that has been seared, but canned tuna is one thing that will drive him right out of the house from the smell alone. My love of tuna fish sandwiches is something I indulge when he is not around or when I can eat outside and not bother him with it.

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